No unified exam for medical courses: SC quashes NEET

The Supreme Court today struck down the conducting of the National Eligibility and Entrance Test (NEET) for medical courses.

The apex court said that the examination should not be held, adding that while the Medical Council of India (MCI) can set down the conditions for examinations, it cannot conduct them, CNN-IBN reported.

In the case of this academic year, the Supreme Court has said that examinations conducted by private medical colleges would be considered as valid and students will retain their seats, the channel said.

"It is very disappointing because we were really looking forward to a common examination and a uniform standard," a student told CNN-IBN.

Reuters

We were really hoping that selling of seats would be stopped and on the basis of a uniform examination".

On 13 May the Supreme Court had passed an interim order stating that NEET would be voluntary for this academic year and will not be binding. Effectively it allowed colleges to admit candidates on the basis of NEET only if they have to.

The apex court has also directed that all medical exam results which were stayed by its 13 December 2012 order be published now and admissions can be made based on these results.

The standoff began when the Medical Council of India (MCI) proposed a common entrance test for all medical courses, but it was opposed by private colleges who then moved the apex court.

States and medical colleges had also approached high courts in states like Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu to seek a stay on the NEET determining admission to courses.

The MCI claims that the single entrance exam would avoid multiple entrance tests and reduce irregularities in admissions to medical courses like payment of crores in order to secure a seat for post graduate courses.